Portable tool



Aug- 6, 1963 R G. REBECHlNl UAL 3,099,905

PORTABLE TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed DGO. 29, 1960 ELO/ram VZW@ as.

Aug. 6, 1963 P. G. REBEcHlNl ETAL 3,099,905

PORTABLE TOOL Filed Dec. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ui) k M f@ @w3 j f@ f@ f6) XN 31 m N E@ )"1 kg Si? E41 \;JJ)

G* y H nu b I fr@ er) j Ls) Q s, R k n) fnz/enn' g N, W @Zwama/u@ lo P/zdgalfmsam Unite States arent Filed Dec. 29, 1960, Ser. No. '79,328 Claims. (Cl. 51-170) The present invention relates generally to a portable power tool and more particularly to a portable power tool having improved means for providing a supply of a fluid abrading or polishing material to the work head of said tool.

Polishing tools are widely used in the automotive and related industries for polishing the painted, enameled and lacquered surfaces of bodies and parts of automobiles and of other products to provide a high degree of lustre and protection. Heretofore, liquid polishing material has been supplied to the polishing tool through the spindle of the rotary polishing head, but these tools have been largely limited to portable polishers having a built-in reservoir of limited capacity and a polishing fluid which contains very little abrasive solids and which therefore requires slight feed-pressure to convey and dispense the polishing material. lt has been only recently that the automotive and related industries have required portable polishing tools capable of handling highly abrasive polishing materials supplied from a large central reservoir and under constant pressure.

Heretofore, portable polishing tools have commonly employed valve construction of the spool or poppet type which cannot efficiently handle highly abrasive polishing materials without becoming inoperative due to the abrasive fllling the clearances required for the proper operation of the valve.

Other portable polishing tools, especially those powered by electric motors, have frequently been designed with the valves for the polishing material located at or near the rear of the motor so that the polishing material must be conveyed through or in close proximity to the motor before being discharged adjacent the operating head. The tubular means for conveying the polishing material on tools of the latter type are subjected to the heat of the motor. When flow `through the tubular means is interrupted, the heat of the motor tends to drive off the moisture or fluid phase of the polishing material in contact with the walls of the heated tubular means. Under some conditions of operation, the tubular passage is completely blocked by a hard, concrete-like mass of caked polishing material, leaving the tool completely inoperative and requiring complete dismantling of the oper-ating head of the tool before the tool can be used. It will be further appreciated that passaging certain solvent fluids of the polishing material in close proximity to an electric motor or switch creates other undesirable hazards.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a portable tool capable of eiciently handling highly abrasive fluids, supplied from a central reservoir, under pressure.

lt is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable tool which has improved valve means for controlling the supply of a fluid to the working head of the tool.

lOther objects of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description and claims to follow when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portable power tool embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the tool of FIG. l shown in a different position of adjustment;

xFIG. 3 is ea fragmentary vertical sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, partially in side elevational view; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View of the tool of FIG. 1.

The objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a portable tool with the iluid conduit connection from a iluid material reservoir and a valve means for controlling the ilow of the fluid material within the operating head of the tool at points spaced from the tool drive means and which are as close as possible to the working surface of the tool. More particularly, a portfable polishing tool embodying the present invention, as best shown in :F-IG. 1 of the drawings, is comprised generally of a motor housing section 10y having a drive motor therein which can be electrically or fluid driven. 'Ihe housing section 10 has la handle 11 secured by means of fasteners 13 at the rear thereof. A working head assembly or gear case head assembly 12 is mounted on the for- Ward end of the motor housing section 1t) by means of fasteners :14. The handle 11 preferably has a suitable motor switch or motor control means 15 mounted therein adjacent the motor housing section A1li.

The working head or gear case head assembly 12 is comprised of a main body section 16 and a gear case cover section 18 secured to the body section -16 by f-asteners -17. Within the body section 16 and cover section 18 is an axial spindle 2t) mounted in suitably spaced rotary bearings 21, 22. The spindle 20 carries intermediate the said bearings, a toothed gear 23 which is keyed thereto, as shown at 24 and which is engaged and driven by a pinion 26 operatively connected to the shaft of the drive motor (not shown). The lower end 25 of the spindle 20 is preferably threadably connected to a disc or head 27 having a polishing pad 2S mounted on the face of the head 27, whereby the spindle and pad are rotatably driven when the motor is energized.

The spindle 20 is hollow having an axial bore 29 extending the length thereof. A conduit pipe 31 is disposed the bore 29 which projects axially beyond the upper end of the spindle 20 and terminates short of the lower end 25 of the spindle 20. The lower end 25 of the spindle 20 is preferably provided with an externally threaded section 32 and an internally threaded section 33. A supporting plate -34 is threadably mounted on section 32 and supports a head ,27 which serves as a backing member for the polishing pad 28. The pad 28 is secured to the spindle 20 by means of a flat nut 37 threadably mounted in section 33 of the spindle 20. The spindle 20, conduit pipe 31, and the axial passage through the flat nut 37 serve as conduit means for conveying the polishing material to the polishing pad 28.

Mounted in the 4gear case cover section 18 and operatively connected with the conduit pipe 31 which projects axial-ly from the upper end of the spindle 20 is a two-part valve assembly 40 which comprises an important feature of the present invention. 'Ihe twoJpfart plate valve assembly 40, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is comprised ef a stationary generally cylindrical lower valve plate member 41 removably mounted in the cover section `18 within a mating sleeve member 42 and a movable upper valve plate member 50 in face-tface sealing and sliding contact with the upper surface of the lower valve plate member 41. The upper valve plate member 50 is rotatably disposed within the sleeve member 42. The lower valve plate -member 41 and the sleeve member 42 are detachably secured in a predetermined position relative to the cover section 1S by fastener means 43.

The lower Valve plate member 41 has extending inwardly and upwardly from a lateral surface thereof a passage 44 which intersects the upper surface of the plate member 41 at a point spaced radially from an axial passage 45 extending therethrough. The lower end of the passage 44 is aligned with a radial passage 46 in sleeve member 42 which in turn is in alignment with a iuid inlet passage 47 extending through the wall of the cover section 18. The outer end of the inlet passage `47 is preferably provided with coupling means 48, such -as a short threaded section, for engagement with a polishing iiuid supply con-duit (not shown).

The movable upper valve plate member 50 is provided with a passage 51 spaced radially from the axis thereof and extending upwardly partially through said plate member 50 Ifrom the lower surface thereof which is adapted to being placed in alignment in one rotary position of adjustment with the upper end of passage 44 of the lower valve plate member 4l. A transverse channel 52 extends radially inwardly from passage 51 and connects with a downwardly extending axial passage 53 which 'is at all times in alignment with the upper end of conduit pipe 31.

The upper valve plate member 50 has secured thereto a radially extending iinger actuating lever 56 which extends outwardly through a lateral slot 57 in the cover section 18 for effecting a rotary movement of said plate member 50. The upper valve plate member 50 is also provided with an axially extending head portion 58 about which s mounted a spring member 60. 'Ihe spring member 60 is anchored at its upper end about a pin 61 projecting downwardly from the spring cover member 62. The lower end of spring member 60 is anchored about a lower pin 63 which is mounted in the movable upper valve plate member 50 and which extends through the actuating lever 56, thus providing spring means for maintaining the upper valve plate member 50 normally in one rotatable or passage closing position of adjustment. The upper surface of spring member 60 is also urged downwardly and is compressed lby the spring cover member 62 which is secured to the gear case cover section 18 by fastener 65, thereby maintaining the upper valve plate member 50 constantly in sealing engagement with the lower valve plate member 41.v

In the operation of the tool shown in FIG. l of the drawing whether for polishing, cleaning or the like use, a fluid is conveyed from a reservoir spaced from the tool 10 to the iluid inlet passage 47 -by means of a suitable conduit (not shown). With the tool 10 in normal position the torsion spring member 60 holds the upper valve plate member S in ya rotatable position of adjustment with the passage K1 thereof spaced circumferentially from the upper end of the passage 44 in the lower valve plate member 41, thereby preventing fluid entering the conduit pipe 31. When the tool is placed with the pad 28 -in .contact with a surface to be polished, while the tool is supported by holding, for example, the hand-le 11 in the operators right hand and the handle 19 which is adjacent t-he working head 16 in the left hand, the operator moves the actuating lever 56 forwardly from the closed position shown in FIG. l to the open position shown in FIG. 2 -with the thumb of his left hand. When the actu-ating lever 56 is moved forwardly, the passage 51 in Ithe upper plate member 5'0 is brought into alignment with the passage 44, thereby permitting the fluid material, such as an abrasive polishing material, to pass into the conduit pipe 31 and ow downwardly and out of the axial opening in the ilat nut 37 adjacent the cen- `ter of the polishing pad 28. As long as the actuating lever 56 is held in the for-ward or open position, fluid material under pressure from the reservoir ilows through the valve assembly 40, conduit pipe 31, the polishing pad 28, and into the surface to be polished. When the actuating lever 56 is released, the torsion spring member 60 immediately rotates the upper valve plate member 50 and thereby moves the passage 51 out of alignment with passage 44, thus cutting off further supply of uid material to the pad 28.

The valve assembly 40 can be easily removed for infrequent cleaning or repair by removing fasteners 65 which hold the lspring cover 62 att-ached to the cover section 18. When the spring cover 62 is removed, the torsion spring means 60 and the upper valve plate 50 with the actuating lever 56 secured thereto can be removed by lifting vertically. The lower valve plate 41 is then exposed and the passages y44 and 45 therein can be readily cleaned without necessarily removing valve plate 41.

While the specific embodiment selected to illustrate the present invention is related to a portable polishing tool, the invention is equally applicable for portable tools for abrading a surface and also to tools requiring a manually controlled and intermittent supply of water or similar iiuid Ibeing supplied to the :work head of the tool, such as in wet sanding tools. Other uses of the present invention Will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

It Will be apparent from the foregoing that the arrangement of the valve assembly on the working head with the actuating lever adj-acent the operating handle is adapted to more conveniently control the flow of 4a fluid material fed directly to the Working head and the surface being polished from a spaced iluid reservoir. By introducing the iluid material directly into the working head also containing therein the valve assembly, the present construction avoids a long feed conduit and substantially shortens the path of travel of the uid material within the tool. Thus, with the structure of the present invenltion it is possible for an operator to lay the tool aside for a considerable period of time and thereafter use the tool Without misoperation of the fluid feeding mechanism.

We claim:

51. In a portable tool provided with a working head having a handle for manually positioning said working head and a source of driving power for said working head, said working head having a main body section, a spindle disposed in said body section operatively associated with said source of driving power and having a surface contacting means mounted on one end of said spindle, and said spindle having an axial passage means extending the length thereof for conveying a fluid to said surface contacting means for application to a surface, the improvement comprising; a spindle having a iluid valve assembly disposed within said working head, said valve assembly sealably engaging one end of said passage means havling two sections in sealing and slidable engagement, one of said sections being relatively rotatable with respect to the other, at least one said section having two spaced passages therein with one of said spaced pasages having said axial passage means extending therethrough and the other spaced passage being in communication with said fluid reservoir, and the other of said valve sections having a passage therein which is adapted to having one end thereof connect said spaced passages in at least one relative rotatable position of adjustment and the other end thereof being in Huid-How communication with said axial passage means, an actuating lever associated with one of said sections and extending radially outwardly from said one of said section terminating adjacent said handle, and means associated with said actuating lever normally maintaining at least one said spaced passage out of axial alignment with said passage in the other said section.

I 2J \In a portable tool provided with a working head having a handle for manually positioning said Working head and a source of driving power for said working head, said working head having a main body section, a spindle disposed in said body section operatively associated with said source of driving power and having a surface contacting means mounted on one end of said spindle and said spindle having an axial passage means extending a length thereof for conveying a iluid to said surface contacting means for application to a surface, the improvement comprising; a spindle having a fluid valve assembly contained within said working head yand sealably engaging one end of said passage means for controlling the flow of a fluid material therethrough, said valve assembly having two valve plates in sealing and slidable engagement, one of said plates being relatively rotatably with respect to the other of said plates, one of said plates having spaced passages therein comprising a lirst passage which is in constant communication with a spaced fluid reservoir and a second passage through which said spindle extends and the other of said plates having a passage therein having one end thereof in fluid-how communication with said axial passage means and the other end thereof adapted in one relative rotatable position of adjustment to connect with said rst passage, an actuating lever for controlling the relative position of said passages which extends radially outwardly from said working head terminating adjacent said handle, and spring means associated with said actuating lever normally maintaining the said valve assembly closed against the flow of uid therethrough.

`3. In a portable tool provided with a working head having a handle for manually positioning said working head `and a source of driving power for said working head, said working head having a main body section, a spindle disposed in said body section operatively associated with said source of driving power and having a surface contacting means mounted on one end of said spindle and said spindle having an axial passage means extending a length thereof for conveying a fluid |to said surface contacting means for application to a surface, the improvement compraising; a spindle having a fluid valve assembly in said working head sealably engaging one end of said passage means for controlling the flow therethrough of a iluid from a spaced fluid reservoir, said valve assembly having a stationary lower valve plate with a iirst axial passage extending therethrough and through which said spindle extends and said lower plate having a second passage extending from a lateral surface of said lower plate to a point in the upper transverse surface thereof spaced radially from said rst axial passage of said lower plate, an upper valve plate lin slidable and sealing engagement with said upper transverse surface, said upper -valve plate being rotatably disposed about its longitudinal axis which coincides with the longitudinal axis of said spindle and having a generally laterally extending passage therein having one end thereof in iiuid-ow communication with said axial passage means and the other end thereof adapted in one rotatable position of adjustment of said upper plate to connect with said second passage of said lower valve plate, an actuating lever connected with said upper valve plate to facilitate rotatable movement thereof, and spring means associated with said actuating lever normally urging said actuating lever and upper valve plate to a position of rotatable adjustment in which said radially extending passage is out of communication with said second passage of said lower plate.

4. In a portable tool provided with a working head having a handle associated with said head for manually positioning said working head and a source of driving power for said working head, said working head having a spindle .mounted axially therein and operatively associated with said source of driving power and having a surface contacting means mounted on one end of said spindle, the improvement comprising; a spindle having an axial passage means therein, a liuid valve assembly disposed within said working head and sealably engaging one end of said axial passage means of said spindle, said valve assembly having two sections in sealing slidable engagement, one of said sections being lrotatable with Irespect to the other of said sections which is connected with a source of fluid for placing said axial passage means in fluid-flow communication with `said source of fluid, and actuating means associated with said one of the said sections extending laterally intermediate the ends of said working head and terminating adjacent said handle to facilitate operation of said valve assembly.

5. In a portable tool provided with a Working head having a handle mounted on said head for manually positioning said working head and a source of driving power lfor said working head, said working head having a spindle mounted in said head which is operatively associated with said source of driving power and shaving a surface contacting means mounted on one end of said spindle, the improvement comprising; a spindle having an axial lpassage means in said spindle, -a fluid valve assembly disposed within said working head and sealably engaging one end of said axial passage means, said valve assembly having a stationary lower valve plate provided with a plurality of spaced passages therein with one of said spaced passages communicating with a source of fluid supply and another of said spaced passages receiving an end portion of said axial passage means, and an upper valve plate having a passage extending partially therethrough with one end thereof being in tluid-liow communication with said axial passage means and the other end thereof adapted in one position of adjustment to be in fluid-How communication with said one of said spaced passages, said upper valve plate forming a sealing engagement with said axial passage means, an actuating lever connected with said upper valve plate to facilitate rotatable movement thereof, and `spring means associated with said actuating lever and said upper valve plate normally maintaining said valve assembly closed against the flow of lluid therethrough.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 100,113 Breeden Feb. 22, 1870 1,698,970 Shal lan. l5, 1929 1,971,790 Mall Aug. 28, 1934 

4. IN A PORTABLE TOOL PROVIDED WITH A WORKING HEAD HAVING A HANDLE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HEAD FOR MANUALLY POSITIONING SAID WORKING HEAD AND A SOURCE OF DRIVING POWER FOR SAID WORKING HEAD, SAID WORKING HEAD HAVING A SPINDLE MOUNTED AXIALLY THEREIN AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SOURCE OF DRIVING POWER AND HAVING A SURFACE CONTACTING MEANS MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID SPINDLE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING; A SPINDLE HAVING AN AXIAL PASSAGE MEANS THEREIN, A FLUID VALVE ASSEMBLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID WORKING HEAD AND SEALABLY ENGAGING ONE END OF SAID AXIAL PASSAGE MEANS OF SAID SPINDLE, SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY HAVING TWO SECTIONS IN SEALING SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT, ONE OF SAID SECTIONS BEING ROTATBLE WITH 